NASA has revealed the new spacesuits that astronauts will be wearing on their next mission to the Moon! These suits have been designed specifically for the harsh environment of the lunar surface and will help astronauts move around more easily. But that’s not all! They’ve also been made to fit better for women travelling into space!
The spacesuit has been designed by the private company Axiom Space for NASA and it’s going to be tested at NASA’s laboratories. The suit will be ready for the Artemis 3 mission to the Moon in 2025! The new suit is about 25 kilograms lighter than the spacesuits worn by the Apollo astronauts. That’s like carrying a backpack full of books versus a backpack full of feathers!
The suit has more joints stitched in, so the astronauts can move around more easily. Plus, the boots have been designed to withstand the freezing temperatures on the Moon! How cool is that?!
The helmet has lights built into it and even has an HD camera! The astronauts can use this to take amazing pictures and videos of the Moon’s South polar region. These features will help with the science aspect of the mission, like collecting rock samples to help scientists better understand the Moon.
Artemis 3 is going to be the first crewed Moon landing mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. And guess what? It’s also scheduled to see the first woman and the first non-white astronaut go to the Moon! In March 2019, NASA planned to send an entirely female team of astronauts to complete a spacewalk from the International Space Station, but they realized they didn’t have enough spacesuits in the right size for both women. But, according to NASA, this new suit “will fit a broad range of crew members, accommodating at least 90 percent of the US male and female population.” We’re excited to see what the future holds for space exploration with these new spacesuits!
